Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

Rwanda: British Envoy defends BBC programming

By United Press International (UPI)
May 18, 2009

Kigali, May 18 (RNA) - The British diplomat in Kigali said on Monday that his government is "disappointed" with Rwanda's decision to suspend the relay of BBC Kinyarwanda programmes onto its territory, arguing that "a number of people" he has talked to affirm that the programme is "not dangerous", RNA reports.

Mr. Nicholas Cannon said he has read translated transcripts from the BBC of the programme that aired on April 25 "but it contained no language" that negates the Tutsi Genocide. He said the BBC is independent of the British government allowing it to have "editorial independence to discuss such sensitive subjects".

"From the translated transcripts of the particular programme which was to be broadcast on April 25, there is completely no sign that it was fomenting hate or denying the Genocide", said Mr. Cannon.

"I have put our concerns to the Minister of Information on a number of occasions we have met. I hope the government of Rwanda and the BBC come to some understanding such that the service is restored as soon as possible."

He said he also read the transcripts provided by government and they do not indicate that the people who were hosted on the programme in question were promoting hate. The April 25 segment included controversial former PM Faustin Twagiramungu and three other exiled politicians.

Mr. Cannon told RNA that BBC officials are due in Rwanda "in the near future" to iron out any differences, but added that the Embassy or the British government will not be involved in the discussions. The misunderstanding is "between the BBC which is independent and government of Rwanda", he said.

Hard-talking Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo has maintained that the BBC will never be allowed to broadcast through the FM frequency into Rwanda unless it changes the editorial line. She has also said that the British broadcaster undermines unity and reconciliation efforts, some 15 years after the 1994 massacres left a country traumatized.

Local campaigner and journalist Tom Ndahiro has also been at the forefront condemning the BBC - saying it has never given platform to people who negate the Jewish Holocaust but is comfortable to host those who deny the Tutsi genocide. The British envoy says he does not believe the BBC can do anything like that.

The broadcaster has hit back saying the word choices used by the Gahuzamiryango and IMVO N'IMVANO programmes are not "poisonous" as described by the Information Minister.

"Freedom of press which we believe in and embodies the spirit of the BBC entails that difficult and sensitive issues are discussed", said Mr. Cannon.

"The BBC takes the view that they are not simply there to produce feel-good material but to address difficult and controversial subjects. Of course there are limits to any kind of broadcasting media - in particular if there is any denial or incitement to violence."

He however said the Kinyarwanda language "has a lot of complexities" and does not understand it, but dismissed the suggestion that the language used on the BBC could be counter productive to Rwanda. Mr. Cannon pointed out that British budget support totaling some 46million pounds will not be affected because it is meant for the "poor" and "it has nothing to do with the BBC".

On President Paul Kagame's recently adopted slogan that he wants the country off foreign aid, the British diplomat said government has "not indicated officially" that it wants development aid stopped.

He said he would also like to see Rwanda finally free from aid and that there are signs the country is headed in the directions. (End)

ARI-RNA/ Med./ 18. 05. 09/ 09 : 55 GMT

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Notes:

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posted by Mamadou Kouyate @ 7:06 AM